Electrical Department: Powering Our Water Supply

October 1, 2010 -- The electrical department at MNWD does a lot more than just keep the District’s lights on. It is in charge of ensuring all the pumps and infrastructure that move, monitor and clean your water are working smoothly and efficiently.

It takes a lot of electricity to make water reliably flow from your tap. Large pumps transport water from regional pipelines to our local reservoirs, which are located at high elevations so water can flow by gravity to local homes and businesses, and computerized systems oversee treatment and distribution. The electrical department is at the heart of this operation, monitoring electrical systems and maintaining the high-tech components of our infrastructure.

The electrical department is also responsible for many of MNWD’s time-and cost-saving innovations. Under its direction, the District primarily pumps water into our reservoirs at offpeak hours when electricity is less expensive. This move helps save more than $300,000 each year and resulted in MNWD being named a No. 1 Energy Showcase by the California Energy Commission. The department also maintains the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) computer system that the distribution department uses to monitor and control water flow and quality.

All employees within the electrical department are highly trained with advanced degrees, specialized programming training and years of experience. They are required to have California Workers Electrical Association certification and California Department of Health Services water distribution certificates